How to speak english fluently

                          

         How to speak English fluently

1. Listen actively. While listening is not usually regarded as learning, it is actually very effective. Both podcasts and audiobooks are incredibly useful in improving your spoken English. By listening to native speakers, you train your brain to get used to the sound of English.

2. Avoid learning word by word. Did you memorize entire word lists but still feel uncomfortable while speaking English? You should focus on phrases, not individual words. Your brain learns faster when it’s given context.

3. Practice what you’ve learned. We all know practice makes perfect. If you don’t have a conversation partner, the easiest way to practice is by creating sentences with all the words and phrases you’ve learned so far.

4. Turn your weaknesses into strengths. Do you have difficulties with grammar, pronunciation, or sentence formation? It’s absolutely normal. All you have to do is trust Mondly to make the learning process enjoyable regardless of the subject.

5. Start thinking in English. When it comes to speaking English, the inductive method is a sure winner. In other words, start thinking in English rather than construct a phrase in your native language, apply the rules and only then translate it accordingly.

6. Make the most of your resources. For the first time ever, you can receive an Oxford University Press education on your mobile device. Using Mondly, you can get access to more than 100 English tests with a total of 3500 questions featuring both grammar and vocabulary exercises covering topics such as verb tense, word order, spelling, and many more.

7. Get feedback. It’s never easy to ask for feedback. That’s why everybody loves Mondly’s voice-enabled chatbot with speech recognition: you can get instant feedback on your pronunciation.

8. Perfect your pronunciation with tongue twisters. Tongue twisters are a great way to have fun and improve your speed, rhythm and pronunciation.

Here are some more tips on how to improve your spoken English.

Speak English fluently from day 1

Did you know that learning by doing is the most effective learning method? Practice English a little bit every day and you’ll speak like a native forever! Start right now with these top 10 most common English words and phrases pronounced by native English speakers.

1. 1. Hello.

   First impressions matter. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Learning as much as a simple “hello” in English can work wonders in your interactions with the natives. So here’s exactly how to pronounce it:

   Hello.

2. 2. How are you?

   The next polite thing to do is ask “how are you?”. Sometimes, you can even skip the hello and directly ask how are things. Here’s how to pronounce it in English:

   How are you?

3. 3. What is your name?

   When you travel abroad, you usually make a lot of new friends. Whether we are talking about the nice stranger on the plane, your host or the driver, here’s how to ask them what’s their name:

   What is your name?

4. 4. Nice to meet you.

   The natives will always regard your attempt to speak their language as a sign of respect towards their culture. Another basic phrase you can use when making new friends is “nice to meet you”. Click and listen to how is it pronounced:

   Nice to meet you.

5. 5. Please.

   Manners are a must everywhere you go. And England makes no exception. Saying “please” the right way and at the right time will open many doors in your path. To pronounce it in English, you simply say:

   Please.

6. 6. Thank you.

   Mothers are the best thing that ever happened to us. Not only did they raise us, but they also taught us basic manners like saying “thank you” in the proper contexts. Following their example, here’s how to say “thank you” in English:

   Thank you.

7. 7. You're welcome.

   It doesn't matter where you are in the world. Common sense translates the same in all languages. Here's how a person from London would say “you’re welcome”:

   You're welcome.

8. 8. Excuse me!

   We only need 7 seconds to make an impression that may last a lifetime. And sometimes, the only difference between a good impression and a bad one is just a simple “excuse me”. Listen to how it's pronounced in English:

   Excuse me!

9. 9. How much does it cost?

   Shopping sprees are an essential part of every city break. The vacation isn’t over until you buy souvenirs for each member of your family. So here’s how to ask “how much does it cost?” in English:

   How much does it cost?

10. 10. Goodbye.

    If you want to maintain the good first impression you managed to make with your flawless English greetings and introductions, end the conversation by saying “goodbye” exactly like a native:

    Goodbye.

How can I improve my English speaking fluency?

• 1 - Learn what it means to be fluent in English
• 2 - Speak English with confidence
• 3 - Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
• 4 - Listen to people speaking English in podcasts
• 5 - Record your own English-language audiobook
• 6 - Learn and study phrases
• 7 - Practice speaking English word by word
• 8 - Practice speaking English one sentence at a time
• 9 - Don’t study grammar (too much)
• 10 - Use it or lose it
• 11 - Learn synonyms
• 12 - Improve your English fluency with a teacher
• 13 - Stop being a student and start thinking in English
• 14 - Accept that English is a weird language
• 15 - Join a free email course

1 - Learn What It Means to Be Fluent in English

English fluency is one of the most common goals among English learners. Job ads often require applicants to be “fluent in English”. But what does it actually mean to be fluent in a language? If we check the definition in the Merriam-Webster, we see that fluent means “capable of using a language easily and accurately”. 

Fluency refers to that moment when you are able to speak easily, at a regular pace, and without needing to pause to think about the grammar or pronunciation. 

Now, being fluent does not mean not making mistakes, ever. It is about communicating your message across smoothly, even if you may make mistakes. You realize that you are fluent when things ‘click’ and words flow. Again, even if you still make grammar or pronunciation mistakes, you may already be fluent in English!

Do we speak English or talk English?

Speak and talk have similar meanings and are often equally appropriate: I’m going to speak/talk to my teacher about it after the lesson. / I enjoyed speaking/talking to Max and I enjoyed talking to Max.

They both indicate that someone is to use your voice to convey information or to express a feeling. However, there are some small differences in how and when they are used.

SPEAK

- More formal. We usually use speak, not talk, for formal speeches and situations, when a person in authority is addressing an audience, or when the people involved don’t know each other very well. ✓ Before the election, the President spoke to the nation on television. / X The Prime Minister talked to Parliament this morning.

- Focus on the speaker. We use speak when we want to give more focus to the person who is producing the words. ✓ In the presentation, they spoke about the importance of a healthy diet.

- Languages. Languages: We use speak when we refer to languages. ✓How many languages do you speak?  X How many languages do you talk? / ✓He speaks English very well. X He talks English very well.

- Telephone: We use speak on the telephone. → It’s Anna here. Who’s speaking?  X Who’s talking?

TALK

- Focus on the conversation. Indicates that there is at least one listener and that there is potentially a conversation. ✓ I’d like to meet you to talk about my proposal. Not: I hope I can meet you to speak about my proposal. / Can we talk about our upcoming meeting? 

- Other expressions with talk:  I’d like to talk about our new sales strategy. (= explain/discuss). / You’re talking nonsense. (I strongly disagree with what you are saying).

2 - Speak English with Confidence

Believe it or not, being a confident speaker has little to do with your actual ability to speak in English.

You may know the right words and expressions to describe something. You may be exceptionally good at grammar. And yet, you still hesitate when you want to give your opinion in a meeting, or share your thoughts with a group of friends. You get nervous, you stutter, and your mind might even go blank when you want to say something in English. That is because knowing how to say something and actually having the confidence to do it are two different things. You may lack the confidence to speak up, even when you have all the tools you need.

If you are wondering, how can I speak fluent English without hesitation? Pause for a moment and think -do I need to improve my vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation, or is it more of a confidence issue? Perhaps you just need to learn how to speak English confidently. Understanding your strengths and limitations will help you be more strategic about what you need to focus on next.

3 - Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

• We all make mistakes. Even native-English speakers. Accept that mistakes are normal and don’t stress too much about them. If you’re not afraid to make mistakes, your confidence will increase and your fluency will be much smoother. Over prepare, but don’t obsess over details or small mistakes.

• Keep Notes on Your Mistakes

  However, do keep notes on your mistakes when you speak in English. Write down the mistakes you make often and write examples of how to say them correctly. Review those sentences every now and then and repeat them out loud.

  For example, if you say “I am driving to work every day”, write it down, and next to it add → “I drive to work every day”. Repeat the second sentence over and over again until it becomes natural. This exposure and repetition of the correct sentence will make the incorrect sentence sound odd to your ears.

• 4 - Listen to People Speaking English in Podcasts

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• Podcasts are a fantastic way of learning communication and pronunciation patterns. Plus, you can listen to them while you are doing other things, such as cooking, doing the laundry, or driving. If you wonder how to learn to speak English, well, mimic others. Get yourself used to listening to people speaking in English. Pay attention to the expressions they use, how they pronounce words, their intonation…

• Pro tip: Use shadowing to improve your fluency

  Shadowing is an effective technique that consists of repeating right after someone else. Don’t let the speaker finish the sentence and try to speak almost at the same time.
  
  You should repeat after the speaker as soon as possible. Don’t let the speaker finish the sentence, and try to speak almost at the same time. It’s similar to when you sing along to your favorite song!
  
  It’s much easier to practice shadowing if you have the script, as you can read it at the same time you listen. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything you’re saying, this is just about imitating a native English pronunciation. This will help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, as well as your listening skills. Once you’ve mastered this, confidence will go up and up.
  

  5 - Record Your Own English-language Audiobook

• When it comes to English fluency, the most effective strategy is to actually use the language. Speak to English-speaking coworkers as much as possible, join meetups with international people, and interact in English as much as you can. However, sometimes we don’t have the option to practice English with other people.
  
  Here’s a tip! Think of a book or a story that you enjoy reading and record yourself reading it. Try to pronounce all the words clearly and slowly. This will take time –it’s not as easy as it may sound–, but we promise, it’s effective and fun. It’s a great way to practice your English pronunciation and pay attention to words and phrases.
  
  You can easily record audio with QuickTime Player, Audacity, or even on your phone! Play around with it and have fun. And who knows, you may even end up getting paid to read books aloud.

• 6 - Learn and Study Phrases

• Create your own vocabulary list, but add them in phrases, not isolated. Regularly write down new words, expressions, and idioms and include their meanings and relevant examples. And more importantly - give them context! Use new words and phrases in sentences that are true to you, and associate them with things you already know, like a picture or a funny story.
  
  Make sure this list is easily accessible (a note on your phone, a notebook you always carry in your bag, or a file on your desktop) and check it often. If you find it hard to remember new English words, use the power of repetition.
  
  Read your new phrase today and use it in a sentence. Then do that again in three days, then in a week, then in a month, and then in six months, until it becomes part of your long-term memory and your active vocabulary.
  
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